Happy Birthday, Jake! (Belated)

I just wanted to do a post in honor of my now 28 year old, wonderful, hard working,
loving husband, Jake.

He had a birthday on May 13, and it also marked 2 years since we've known each other. Our first date was on May 10, 2007, and I remember it oh so well. We went to the Macaroni Grill, Bee's baseball game, Hobbitville (a weird little dwarfish neighborhood in Salt Lake) and back to his house for games. I met my father-in-law that night, and I remember he was wearing some awesome hawaiian print pajama pants. I could tell he had a fun family. :)

Anyways, I had such a fun time with Jake and really wanted to go out with him again, but wasn't sure if he was going to make the call. You know the dating game...sometimes it just drives you crazy. I knew his birthday was a few days after our date, on Mother's Day that year, so I decided I would call HIM! Tricky, I know. I remember getting up the nerve after talking to my sister and friend about doing it, and I even said "Watch, he'll be in the middle of blowing out his candles or something." But I indeed called, and he sounded pleasantly surprised to hear from me. After a few exchanged sentences, he actually said, "Oh hold on, my family's waiting for me to blow out my candles." I couldn't believe my timing!! But then he talked to me for longer and set up our second date. Score! :)(Here he is blowing out his candles on the beautiful cake that I made him, if I do say so myself. Haha, I'm so proud of a basic round cake...maybe someday I'll venture into shapes and actual object cakes. For now, Jake's happy with what he gets.)

We went out on dates every week after that, mostly meeting up in Salt Lake somewhere after work and finding creative things to do together. Some of my favorite dates included Jazz Playoffs games, Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert, making the yummiest homemade pizza or grilling the best salmon I've ever tasted in his backyard, a cruise on the Great Salt Lake, 4 wheeling in the Bountiful mountains (hills?), hiking, rock climbing, and watching Anne of Green Gables on a love sac in the backyard. (I knew he was a keeper if he was willing to do that to impress me for our 3 month anniversary after a fancy homemade meal of cornish hen. hehe)

Here are some pictures to take us down Memory Lane....the first month or so of our blossoming relationship. This first one was our first picture together...Jazz Playoffs, woohoo!

Lookin pretty hot in those helmets!
That was a great concert! And Jake looked so cute that night, which made it even better!
Climbing at the Quarry in Provo...you've gotta be comfortable with somebody with an activity like this where all they see is your behind!
Bridal Veil Falls...this is long before I had any thoughts about marriage, don't worry.
At the Gateway after seeing the movie premiere of something where Jake got that dorky free hat. Fun times!

Anyways, we had a lot of fun and a lot of adventures, and life has been good to us since then! We're so blessed to have a great home and a beautiful daughter, and Jake seriously does so much to support us and keep us going. He is one hard working, dedicated boy, and he's an awesome little daddy to Cambria. Not to mention pretty dang good lookin, too! :)

I just want you to know, Jakey boy, that I appreciate all you do for me and the love you show me as your wife and friend, no matter what. I'm so lucky to have you, and I love you!